Grant Schwartz collapsed back on the cot, with his sister, Christine
hovering over him.
"Grant, it can't be true!" she whispered handing him a cup of tea.
Grant took the cup of tea gratefully from his sister. "I'm afraid it
is," he said after a few long sips of the hot liquid. His bright eyes
rested affectionately on his elder sibling. "As soon as I get a few
minutes of rest I'm going after whoever this is," he said firmly.
"Are you crazy?" Christine asked horrified. If Grant went that meant she
would goÖshe couldn't sit by herself not knowing what he might be
getting into.
Her brother gave her a grin. "Maybe. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe we all are
a littleÖwho knows."
He finished his tea and jumped up.
"Well?"
"GrantÖ" Christine pleaded. "You need to restÖ" she sighed. Turning to
Eliza and the others she shrugged. "I guess this means I'm going with
him."
Grant put a cloak around her shoulders. "I knew you would, " he said
squeezing her arm lightly.
Christine shook her head. "I think madness runs in the family! If I had
any sense I wouldn't let you drag me into this."
"Where would the fun be in that?" Grant asked teasingly.
*************************************************************
"Now, this traitor has been keeping in close contacts with Chauvelin,"
Grant explained as the wind whipped his long cloak, making it billow out
behind him. "Apparently, they've been telling them everything the Guild
has done, how they've done it, and who did it," Grant said
gravely. "Have a look at this note from them to Chauvelin. They've tried
to disguise their handwriting. See? " he said handing Christine the
note.
Christine took the note thoughtfully. "I take it you intercepted this
note before Chauvelin got to see it?" she asked smiling at her brother.
"Ja. One less bit of information our favorite French agent will
receive," Grant said proudly.
"Good for you, Grant." Christine said handing him the note back. "How do
you plan on finding out who wrote this?"
"I figure that upon not hearing back from Chauvelin, they will go seek
him out. I figure we beat them to it, and wait for them," Grant said.
Christine paled. "You meanÖactually go and take on Chauvelin? By
ourselves? Yes, sir, we are this week's guillotine fodder for sure,"
Christine said her eyes wide.
"Will you quit being such a pessimist?" Grant chided. "I tell you
what. We don't actually make ourselves known to Chauvelin. How's that
strike you? We'll just hang around silently and wait."
Christine smiled weakly. "I think that would be better. I just worry a
lot."
Grant groaned. "Boy do you ever!" he laughed. "So we'll waitÖand watch."
*******************************************************************
Sitting outside of building that served as an office for the Committee
of Public Safety, Christine shivered in the night air.
"Good grief, doesn't this man ever go home?" Grant muttered stamping his
feet. "He still hasn't left?" he asked.
"Nein. He's still up there," Christine said shakily.
Grant looked at his sister and felt a pang of guilt. It wasn't fair to
make her wait outside in the cold.
"Dear, why don't you go to the
safe-house and go to bed? Drink something warm and change out of those
clothes, and you'll feel a lot better," he promised.
"YouÖyou will come too?" Christine asked her teeth chattering.
"In a few minutes," Grant vowed.
Christine nodded and headed off down the street silently. Grant found
himself dozing off every few minutes, and decided that it would be a
good idea to follow ChristineÖ.
He was halfway down the street when something made him turn around and
look one last time. Another figure had entered the room where Chauvelin
was. Wrapped in a dark cloak that hid their face, it seemed to stand
humbly in front of the Frenchman. Grant felt his spirits start to
soar. There was the traitor, just like he had guessed.
Curiosity took over and he climbed the side of building to a ledge
beneath the window where he could listen to what was being said inside.
"Öand they know who has been in contact with me?"
"No, they just know it is one of them."
Grant felt his blood run cold. The traitor was definitely female.
"That is better news than I expected. You say the last letter you had
written was intercepted. Who took it?" Chauvelin asked.
"A boy by the name of Grant Schwartz."
Chauvelin laughed. "Name sounds familiar."
"This is no time for laughing, Citizen. I told you I'm suspected."
"That is hardly my fault," Chauvelin snapped.
"I want to be paid. I've given you the information, and now you should give me
the money."
"You failed on this last mission."
The female voice was exasperated. "What exactly was I supposed to
do? Rip it out of his hands and come running to you?"
"Might have been a good start."
Grant shuddered. Whoever this wasÖknew him, and knew that he had the
letter. That meant it had to have been someone who saw him earlier.
"Chauvelin, I told you there was nothing I could do. It isn't as if I’m
the one who lost it. It was your little toady that lost it."
A sigh, followed by: "And I told you that he has paid for his
blunder. Are you sure that you yourself are suspected? You've been
invaluable."
"Everyone is suspected. Myself being still new to the Guild,
especially."
Grant pulled himself up for a look inside the room. The female figure
was still concealed in the cloak, seemed to be pleading with Chauvelin.
"Then may I suggest that you stay in France? Break communications with
this 'guild' and we'll find other work for you here," Chauvelin said.
"I can't do that! What about my family?" the girl cried. In one sudden
movement she tore back the hood of her cloak revealing her flushed young
face.
"Christine!" Grant screamed on the ledge, horrified beyond words.
Both Chauvelin and Christine looked in amazement as Grant swung himself
into the room. He ran over to his sister his eyes wide with
fright.
"Christine, tell me this isn't trueÖthis is all a farce, right?"
Christine took a step back from her brother, her face dark with
shame. "GrantÖwe needed the money."
"My G-d, Christine! Don't you realize what you've done?" Grant whispered
hoarsely. "If you care nothing about the Guild, don't you care that
Austria, our home is at war with France? And here you are helping them?"
Chauvelin spoke up. "Your sister has made a wise decision. While you
were sitting around on your hands, your sister was worried for your
welfare. 'How will I make sure Grant has food?' your sister asked
herself. 'How will I make sure that we have a roof over our heads?' she
asked. Concerned about your well-being she did the logical thing. She
began to look for employment. Finding none in England, she wisely
decided to go to our own government, which was more than happy to aid
her."
It was Grant's turn to look shame faced. "Christine, why didn't you say
anything?" he whimpered.
"Grant, I did. You didn't seem to care," Christine said
softly. "SpyingÖhas earned us enough to live in comfort."
She looked as
if she were about to cry.
"But spying, Christine?"
Chauvelin snarled at Grant. "I'm not exactly certain what you are doing
here. Care to enlighten me?"
"That is different! We're in the right!" Grant protested, then turned
crimson. He really needed to learn how to hold his peace.
"Oh, forgive me," Chauvelin said in mock humility. "I did not realize
that you were in the right." His voice mocked but his gaze was
frigid. "That of course makes all of the difference in the world."
"GrantÖ" Christine said softly her eyes downcast. "I'm so sorry. I
thought that this could be the one time where I helped you outÖyou've
done so much for me since Mama and Papa died. I just wantedÖI just
wanted to help you. And we really needed the moneyÖ"
"My G-d. I'm so sorry Christine," Grant whispered.
"Pardon me for interrupting this charming little colloquy between
siblings, but, I'm afraid that we need to cut this short."
The two looked a Chauvelin uncertainly. "What do you mean,
Citizen?" Christine asked fearfully.
"Your brother is under arrestÖ" Chauvelin said, writing Grant's name on a
document.
"You can't arrest my brother!" Christine said horrified.
"Actually, I can."
"You and what army?" Grant asked making a bit of a show looking down on
the Frenchman. "I think we have you out numberedÖwhat do you think
Christine?"
"I think he'd better keep quiet," Christine said laughing as Grant
pulled a few feet of twine out of his pocket.
"You think you can tie me up?" Chauvelin asked annoyed. "I have soldiers
waiting for my call right out side of this door."
"Tie you up? Nein, my good Citizen. I was planning on forming a lynch
mob and hanging you, from the chandelier," Grant said grimly pointing
out the light fixture. "As for the soldiersÖwell they can be paid off. I
don't think they like you very much any way."
Chauvelin looked from Grant to Christine slightly bewildered. "Two
people make a small lynch mob," he said bitterly.
"You're a small man!" Grant explained laughing, and Chauvelin's face
darkened.
"Grant stop with the gamesÖlets just get out of here," Christine hissed
in her brother's ear.
"What are we going to do about him?" he hissed back.
"There isn't much he can do right now anyway. Let's just leave!"
Christine pleaded. "I want to get out of here."
"Sounds good to me. Well, you're in luck, Citizen!" Grant said turning
back to Chauvelin. "My sister has convinced me to leave. So keep your
mouth shut and we won't have any problems. No lynching tonight."
"Grant," Christine snapped lowering herself out of the window.
"Okay, Okay. G'night Citizen!" Grant said grinning as he swung himself
out of the window. He hit the pavement at a run, following his sister
back to the safe-house where the rest of the Guild was waiting for their
return.
***************************************************
***************************************************
Christine stood before the assembled people there before her. People who
had put their trust, even their safety in her.
"I'm not certain I can
express correctly how very sorry I am."
Her eyes were brimming with
tears as she continued, "I realize that my apology doesn't change the
fact I betrayed you all. However, I do hope that you might be able to
find it in your hearts to forgive me."
A tear ran down her cheek as she
looked from face to face.
"My friends," she said, "I wouldn't blame you
in the least if you cast me out of the Guild because of this."
Christine's voice trembled as she said what lay deepest in her
heart.
"ButÖI wouldÖbe eternally grateful if you would continue to
accept me as one of your own."
After saying this she sat down next to her brother who gave her a gentle
squeeze on the shoulder as they waited for the reaction of the
Guild. They failed to notice however, a hard glint in the little
Austrian girl's eyes as she stared at the floor, seemingly a trustworthy
friend.
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